South, South East & East Asia Resources

Climate change is a public health and equity crisis. Millions of people die globally every year because of health issues linked to climate change. While climate change negatively impacts health worldwide, its effects are particularly acute in South and Southeast Asia. Some key impacts of climate change on health in South and Southeast Asia include increased rates of waterborne and vector-borne diseases, heatstroke and respiratory illnesses, increased risk of malnutrition (particularly among children), and worsening air pollution (Association of Academies and Societies of Sciences in Asia, 2021).

The region’s complex topography, including high mountains, plains, long coastlines, and low-lying islands, increases its vulnerability to extreme weather events. Furthermore, it is important to recognize that the health impacts of climate change in this region are compounded not only by environmental factors but also by pre-existing structural inequalities. Caste, ethnicity, class, gender, age, physical ability, and other social determinants of health intersect to increase the vulnerability of certain populations. The combined effect of increasing natural hazards, changes in biophysical conditions, and these pre-existing socioeconomic and gender-based inequalities accelerates the impacts of climate change on health in South and Southeast Asia. For example, women, the poor, and socially marginalized groups often have less access to health care and are more dependent on climate-sensitive livelihoods, making them disproportionately vulnerable to climate-related health risks. (National Academy of Medicine workshop proceedings  16/12/24)